


The Butterfly Effect

by Kazegami



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Horror, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, lots of canon-based lore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2019-11-15 18:28:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18078728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kazegami/pseuds/Kazegami
Summary: Toffee has been captured and brought to the Butterfly castle for questioning. But the more Moon talks to him, the less she believes he had anything to do with the murder of her mother.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue for this story is very similar to the story we get from Moon's background episode. I mostly wrote it to get a feel of how I wanted to write this fic, but it felt wrong not to include it. Original content starts in the next chapter!

Through the darkness outside her window Moon could see lights flickering in the camp belonging to the monster army. Their tents were miles away but from the view of her castle's tower it appeared as if they were right on her doorstep. It was frightening to have her enemies so close, especially now that it was her responsibility to get rid of them. She needed to consider what was best for her people, but that was hard to do when she was grieving.

She held in her hands a painting in an ornate golden frame. In the picture she sat on her mother's lap, staring up at her with adoring eyes. Moon had only been a few years old then, and she remembered it being hard to sit still for the portraitist. It had been just the two of them when Moon was growing up, and now her mother was gone.

“Hey.”

Moon turned to see Count Mildrew leaning in her doorway, his long blond hair and purple cape flowing behind him in the breeze from her window. _Had he posed there just to catch the wind in his hair? What a pompous ass._ Moon sighed.

“Am I bothering you?”

“No Count Mildrew. I’m just-”

“Mourning the loss of your mother? I understand.” He nodded sagely.

“It’s been a hard week, but I’m still-”

“There’s no need to be strong.” He cut her off again, this time rushing forward to embrace her. “Deal with your feelings, we will handle everything else.” He stroked the back of her head in an attempt to comfort her. Unfortunately for Moon it only elicited a feeling of nausea. She was glad for the barrier of her hooded cloak, thin as it was.

“Uh, Princess- I mean uh, Queen Moon?” A page peeked his head in her doorway, a welcome interruption. Moon gladly took the opportunity to slip out of Count Mildrew’s grip. She masked her discomfort at his overfamiliarity, but only for the sake of politeness.

“Yes?”

“There’s a situation in the situation room.”

♦️♦️♦️

“I swear it wasn’t my orders.” A monster in shackles spoke as soon as Moon and Count Mildrew entered the room. The creature had green fur, pointed ears, and the large round face of a chipmunk. Two vestigial webbed wings sprouted from his back. Atop his head sat a twisted wooden crown that looked like something a child had made. Her general Mina Loveberry stood, looming over him intimidatingly. The rest of her council, composed of the magic high commission and some trusted mewman allies, remained seated around the long table.

The majority of the High Commission had been assisting the queens of Mewni for as long as anyone could remember. They were a bizarre group, in both appearance and personality. Omnitraxus Prime was the personification of space-time and was ageless. He was made of stars and old bones and was too vast to fit comfortably in the meeting room. Instead, he was present with the use of a magical glass orb. Hekapoo was the creator of dimensional scissors and had been tasked with enforcing rules to those who possessed them. Despite her age, she still appeared fairly young, about the same age as Moon. Lekhmet seemed to be the oldest. He was frail and no longer able to speak, forced to vocalize only in bleats that matched his goat-like appearance. He relied on his caretaker Rhombulus the crystal golem for translation. Rhombulus was originally manufactured by Glossaryck to crystallize enemies of the crown.

Seated amongst these bigger powers Moon felt useless. She lacked practical experience in ruling a kingdom, but she had been training for this all of her life. Under normal circumstances the crown would have been passed to her in a few years. Even so, the high commission and everyone else seemed to be sheltering her from making important decisions. Was it because they were trying to be helpful or did they think she wasn’t good enough? Either way it left a sour feeling in her stomach. She hated feeling so inadequate.

There were mewmans present in her counsel as well. Count Mildrew and Mina were strong allies to the Butterfly family, but she wasn't sure how helpful they would be. Mina was older than her and a bit unhinged, and Mildrew seemed often preoccupied in his own world. Her saving grace would likely be her childhood friend River of the Johansen clan.

“Mina, what is going on?” Moon came towards the table with Count Mildrew close behind. He stepped in front of her to pull out her chair with a smile and a small bow. She pushed it back in and scowled, glaring at him until he took his own seat. Moon pulled the chair out again and sat, repeating herself. “What is going on?”

“According to this dingus here one of his generals ran off with half an army, and they’re the ones that put your momma in a wooden nightgown. You know they uh… They put her on ice. They-“

“Thank you, Mina.” Moon held up a hand. She wasn't in the mood for Mina's tone-deaf prattle. She turned her gaze to the monster king, waiting for him to tell his story.

“The queen and I were about to sign a peace treaty when one of my generals went rogue. He’s known as… ‘The Lizard’.” Someone at the table snickered.

"Where is this general now?"

"I'm not entirely sure... We haven't been in contact since then. I suspect he may be in one of the camps near your castle."

That sent a shiver up her spine. "Thank you, that will be all for now." She motioned for the attention of her guards. "My guards will escort you to your temporary quarters."

The silent tension in the air was palpable as the monster stood and exited the room. As soon as the doors closed Rhombulus slammed his fist on the table. “I think we should go to war.”

“Now is not the time.” Count Mildrew argued, shaking his head.

“And her magic isn’t strong enough,” Hekapoo said. “Especially against the lizards. They’re indestructible.”

“We need to go to war!” Mina shouted.

“We _need_ to sign the peace treaty.” Hekapoo urged. The room devolved into chaos as the high commission debated, each member competing to be heard. Moon sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. She was feeling ready to give up and end the meeting when a new voice spoke up.

“We should let Moon decide! She is the Queen after all.” It was River who had spoken. Her face softened as she smiled at him. “River is right. I am the queen now and I will make the decision." She took a deep breath, hoping an easy solution would come to her but her mind remained blank. "I will think over what we have discussed today and you will have my final decision at dawn.”

♦️♦️♦️

Her ears still rang with their voices after the meeting was dismissed. The quiet hallways of the castle felt eerily empty in comparison. While the high commission’s intensity had been annoying and unhelpful it was also difficult to be left alone with her thoughts. Her chest felt tight with anxiety as she mulled over her limited options.

A voice called out to her and she turned to see River running down the hallway, a wicker basket in hand. She stopped and waited for him to catch up with her.

“I’m sorry I spoke out of place… But I brought you something!” He offered her the basket. Underneath the blue cloth lay a cooked leg of meat with the word 'Sorry' crudely carved into it.

“Um… River what is this?”

"It's an apology meat. It's the traditional way we Johansen's apologize or show our condolences. It's a bit silly now that I think about it." He wrung his hands, looking self-conscious. "Moon, you know I'm here for you. If there's anything you need, please tell me."

She hugged him. "I know River. Thank you." She stepped back, giving him a small smile. "And thank you for standing up for me in there. It was a relief to know someone believes in me."

♦️♦️♦️

When Moon reached her room it sounded as if it were already occupied. She hesitated in the doorway for a moment, and upon opening the door she was greeted by quiet sobs emanating from the spell book on her desk. It was a tattered old tome, large and encrusted with different colored gems. Ribbons and scraps of paper stuck out from the pages. Her book of spells had been passed down through generations of queens before her, each leaving their mark. The book shuddered with each sob that rang through the room. Moon approached it slowly. Tears threatened to spill onto her own cheeks but she would not allow it.

"Oh Glossy... Are you alright?" She set down the basket from River and reached a hand towards the book. She unhooked the clasp and when she opened it the blue genie looked up at her with glassy eyes. Her broken heart crumbled into even smaller pieces when she saw his expression. She supposed Glossaryck had lost someone dear to him too.

“No! Your mother’s gone!”

“I know…”

“And she’s never coming back.”

“No, she isn’t.” Moon took a deep breath. She knew Glossaryck was hurting too but she could really use her mentor right now.

“I know you’re upset… So am I.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “But right now I really need your help. Things are bad! I- I have to decide between signing a peace treaty or waging a war.”

Glossaryck sniffled. “Oh yeah. That.” He rolled over dramatically, covering his face with his hands. “I don’t know. Just pick one, I’m sure it will work out.”

“Well that’s not very helpful at all.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I’m in no condition to give advice. If you’ll excuse me I’m just going to go cry in your mother’s chapter.”

He turned over with another sob, pages of the book flipping behind him as if for privacy. They eventually settled, leaving the book open on a chapter that Moon had never opened but had heard rumors about. The chapter had belonged to Eclipsa, a queen known for her proficiency in dark magic. When asked about it, Glossaryck had forbidden her from even opening the chapter. The things Eclipsa had done in the past were unclear in mewman history, but she had been deemed as a threat and was subsequently crystallized in Rhombulus’ prison. She must have created some dangerously powerful spells to be trapped in crystal. Luckily for Moon, if she had been frozen in crystal then she could also be un-frozen. Eclipsa of all people might be able to come up with a solution to her problem.

♦️♦️♦️

Among other things, Eclipsa was known for running away from the throne to be with her monster lover. Perhaps a monster sympathizer was not the best fit for Moon’s situation, but consulting Eclipsa was the only thing she could think of. She decided she wouldn’t mention that the spell she needed was meant to benefit in the war against monsterkind.

It was late in the night when Moon called a meeting with Rhombulus. After explaining her plan he hesitantly agreed to let her speak with Eclipsa. He brought her to his crystal prison, where the worst of the kingdom’s enemies had been crystalized for all eternity. It was a beautiful place and a terrifying one. During the day, light shone off the aquamarine quartzes, creating a rainbow of prisms that illuminated the entire room. It was almost beautiful enough to make you forget the dangerous creatures that slumbered within each crystal.

Rhombulus escorted her to Eclipsa without much ceremony. He seemed rather uneasy, leaving quickly after melting the crystal down to around the former queen’s waist.

Moon held her wand in front of her as Eclipsa gasped air back into her lungs.

“How long have I been here?”

“Around three hundred years?”

“Three _hundred_ years?” Her eyes widened in shock. When she recovered she looked down at the young woman in front of her. “So you’re the new queen?”

“Yes, what of it?”

“Well, it’s just… You seem a bit young to be queen. Unless... Oh no.” She raised a hand to her mouth. “Unless your mother- is she..?”

Tears welled up in Moon’s eyes but she couldn’t stop them this time. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"I see. I lost my mother too when I was not much older than you." Moon saw what seemed to be genuine tears collecting beneath Eclipsa’s own eyes.

"Ever since mom um." She paused, unable to bring herself to say it out loud. She sniffled and tried again. "Since I became queen everyone's been looking to me to end the war and make all these big decisions but I feel like I'm still just a kid. I never trained for something like this; How can I trust myself to decide the fate of Mewni?” She paused for a moment to collect herself. Eclipsa nodded encouragingly, her face sympathetic. Moon scrubbed her hands over her face to wipe the tears away. She was getting off track. “But that’s not why I’m here. I need you to teach me one of your spells from the forbidden chapter.”

“Forbidden? Is that what they’re calling my chapter?" Eclipsa looked both surprised and amused.

Moon shrugged. “I didn’t name it. The point is I need a spell that can destroy something that’s immortal.”

Eclipsa looked surprised again but recovered quickly. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“I’m afraid it’s my only hope.”

“Well..." She drew out the word as she thought. "The spell you seek requires a magical contract. I can give it to you, but once your enemy is killed you must give me something in return.”

“Okay, what is it you want?”

“My freedom.”

“ _What?_ ”

“Oh, I know it’s a lot to ask but… I’ve just been here for so long all by myself."

“But these are Rhombulus’ crystals. I can’t free you.”

“A contract between two queens is stronger than any crystal. Now, do you want to learn the spell?” She extended a hand to shake.

Moon hesitated, glancing at the scars that enveloped the majority of Eclipsa’s hands and arms. It was as if she had dipped them in violet ink up to her elbow and it had trickled down towards her shoulders as it dried. Was it because of the dark magic Eclipsa had wielded so often? Dark magic undoubtedly came at a price, but if it would save her kingdom Moon decided it would be worth it.

She eventually shook Eclipsa's hand. The woman’s spade cheekmarks began to glow as she felt her own do the same. A pink shimmer of magic appeared at their joined hands, a ribbon materializing to temporarily bind them together. After they let go, Eclipsa motioned for Moon to come closer, whispering the spell in her ear. Moon made sure she committed every word to memory.

“And aim it directly at his heart.” She finished with a playful smile. For a moment it was as if they were merely friends sharing gossip. There was a sudden flash of light and Eclipsa was encased in crystal again, a mischievous grin frozen on her face. She turned to find Rhombulus behind her.

“What was that for?”

"I'm just doing my job, Your Majesty. Evil queen? Gotta freeze her.”

“She didn’t seem so evil.” Moon touched the front of the crystal, wondering if Eclipsa could still see or hear them. Perhaps she had misjudged the queen, but now was not the time to think about that. Soon it would be dawn and Moon had to prepare herself to confront the general before the council could intervene.

♦️♦️♦️

**Early The Next Morning**

  
The monsters within the camp stopped what they were doing to stare as Moon approached. She felt all their eyes on her and she suppressed a shiver. Instead, she took a deep breath before hooding her eyes and dismounting from Chauncey. From the basket strapped to Chauncey's saddle she removed a blue wool blanket and unrolled it, laying it on the dirt in front of her. She also pulled out utensils and a plate with the apology meat River had gifted her. Lifting her skirts delicately with both hands, she sat in front of her place setting and began to cut off a small piece of meat.

"Can we help you?” A reptilian monster with green scales and purple spines approached, bearing his teeth at her. Moon looked at him with her chin high.

“I wish to speak to the general.” She quipped before bringing a bite of meat to her lips and chewing it delicately. The monsters that had stopped to observe her snorted and murmured amongst themselves before another voice from behind the crowd silenced them. All heads turned to look in the direction of the voice, the only sound was the jingle of armor from the grey septarian approaching her.

“Hello princess.” The general greeted her politely with a bow, his voice as sweet as honey. He was tall and muscular with grey scales and dark shoulder-length hair. Moon noticed with a shudder that his pauldrons resembled mewman skulls. One skull had spades painted on its cheeks, and the other curiously had diamonds to match Moon's cheekmarks.

“I presume you’re the one they call ‘The Lizard.’” Moon asked as the general straightened from his bow.

“Yes, but you may call me Toffee.”

“Toffee?” She scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “How is that any better?”

“What is it you want?” His eyes narrowed at her. The syrupy sweetness was gone from his voice now, replaced with an indifferent tone.

“I want you and your army to leave immediately, or face the consequences.”

The general’s army began to laugh again. The green lizard leered at her. “Consequences? Your threats are empty. Your ancestors couldn’t defeat us and neither can you.”

“I was hoping you’d say that." Moon stood and brushed off her skirt before lifting her wand.

“We’re not afraid of your magic! We’re invincible.” The green lizard extended his arm in front of another toothy monster who snapped his jaws together around it, shearing off the limb in one bite. With a grunt of exertion, the green lizard grew a new arm from his stump before it had a chance to bleed. Moon felt herself begin to shake as the other monsters cheered. She closed her eyes, taking another deep breath, and raised her wand towards Toffee as she begun incanting the spell.

" _I call the darkness unto me from deepest depths of earth and sea._ ” The wind picked up around her, tugging gently at her hair. “ _From ancient evils unawoken, break the one that can't be broken._ ” Dark storm clouds began swirling in the sky. Moon opened her eyes as bright blue electricity sparked from her wand. Her gaze remained on Toffee as he watched the storm clouds swirl around them.

“ _To blackest night, I pledge my soul and crush my heart to burning coal. To summon forth a deathly power, to see my hated foe devoured._ " A tar-like substance bubbled out from the top of her wand and coated the outside of the crystal heart. Moon felt her wrists burn and looked down to see the same substance creeping up the veins of her arms. She gasped as pain spread up her forearms with it.

“Enough of this.” Toffee took a step towards her, reaching out his right hand. Moon felt the spell tug at her wand, begging to be set loose. For a moment it felt as if time slowed down, but her heart was still beating fast. Something felt wrong and Moon scrambled to figure out what her instincts were trying to tell her.

Thanks to her deal once Toffee was dead, Eclipsa would be free. Queen Eclipsa may have seemed kind to her, but she was known as the traitor who had sided with the monsters. Who’s to say she wouldn’t still think the same way now? With Eclipsa’s powers on the monsters side, Moon would surely lose the war. Perhaps instead she should give this monster and the rest of his army a warning.

Moon pointed her wand at Toffee’s outstretched hand and released the spell from her wand. It surged forward in a blast of black butterflies, hitting one of Toffee’s fingers with enough force to send him flying backwards onto the ground.

The clouds surrounding them cleared away as quickly as they had rolled in, revealing a bright orange and purple sky. Moon’s eyes fell on Toffee’s severed finger which had landed a few feet away from him. It disappeared after a moment in a pink puff of magic. The general pushed himself up into a sitting position and glanced, disinterested at the stump on his right hand. “Have you learned nothing?” He lifted his hand to show her as a new finger grew on his hand. However this time the new digit turned to ash and crumbled to pieces as soon as it had formed.

The camp was deathly silent now. Moon still had her wand pointed towards Toffee but she wasn’t sure she could muster the strength to cast the spell again if she needed to. Exhaustion was creeping in at the back of her mind, but she forced herself to not let it show. Eventually he stood, bearing his teeth at her as he dusted off his armor. His voice was a low growl. "You’ve made your point, but don't think this is over. I will not stand idly by while my people are suffering."

"Strange that we should have something in common.” She said coldly, holding her ground as the monster made his leave, shouting orders for the rest of his army to retreat.


	2. Haunted Dreams

_Dark clouds surrounded her, blocking out the purple and orange sky. She was once again in the monster camp, the lizard general and his army standing opposite her. She took a hesitant step forward. Her vision blurred for a moment as the group of monsters converged into a single entity. Before her now was a writhing mass of teeth and talons and bright predatory eyes. The amalgamation moaned and growled, its multiple voices overlapping each other in a cacophony of noise. Teeth from its many mouths were bared, sharp claws extending towards her. The writhing mass of bodies rose up in a wave, curling inwards to crash down at her feet._

_She raised her wand in fear, a spell spilling from her lips. Static from the storm clouds behind her collected and burst forth from her wand, hitting the creature in front of her. There was a bright light and an unsettling wail and then the monster was gone._

_She felt a spike of anxiety as a sudden thought crossed her mind. Would she be able to fight them off alone if they came back?_

_Her arms felt as if they were on fire. When she looked down the veins beneath her skin ran black with corruption. She raked her fingernails across her forearms, pleading for the infection to recede. But her hands were entirely black now too, fingertips soft with decay. Instead the curse continued to spread past her arms as if it had a mind of its own, crawling up her shoulders to encircle her throat. She wanted to scream but the shadows under her skin crushed around her neck. Her vision became blurry as she fought to take a breath._

Moon woke with a start. She sat up, her stomach in knots and her head spinning. Her arms itched, and she looked down to find the skin around her scars warm to the touch, swollen and shiny.

It had been weeks now since the passing of her mother and the confrontation of the septarian general. With all the work of leading a kingdom suddenly hoisted on her, she was constantly exhausted. Her stress would often torment her in her dreams as well. Moon found sleep to be more and more evasive as the days wore on.

Sometimes walking through the castle garden in the cold morning breeze helped to calm her nerves. She rose from her bed and changed into a soft black gown and gloves before heading down the stairs to get some fresh air. She tried not to linger on the thought of her mother as she walked barefooted through the halls, but it was difficult to ignore her absence. Moon still half-expected to find her mother sitting in the throne room or baking with the cooks in the kitchen. She had not been graced with the time to mourn properly, but even if she had she wasn't sure any tears would come.

Hurried footsteps and the rustling of metal armor echoed down the hall towards her. After a moment Count Laurence Mildrew appeared in a bold purple tunic, a sword strapped to his side. He was escorted by two of her royal guards, the group chatting in excited whispers. He brightened when he saw her.

"Queen Moon! Just the person I was looking for- I come bearing exciting news!"

“News?” She shook her head to clear the fog that had settled in her mind. “Why are you coming to look for me so early in the morning?” She tried to hide a scowl. His blond hair was impossibly perfect, and his smile too bright. She felt gauche in comparison with her bare feet and tangled hair. She hadn’t expected to run into anyone important so early in the morning, and his cheery attitude grated on her nerves.

"We tracked down the creature who killed your mother. My soldiers are locking it away in the dungeon as we speak."

At those words Moon suddenly felt as awake as Laurence looked. So far there had been no response from the monster king and his army since her encounter with Toffee. Preparations had been made on her part for the war that was undoubtedly coming, but the monsters had been suspiciously quiet. Perhaps the general would have some answers for her.

“Take me to him.”


	3. Reintroduction

The dungeon underneath the castle was always cold, damp and miserable. Torches had been placed on the walls, enchanted to burn indefinitely, but they still left the dungeon fairly dim. Small puddles collected in the uneven sections of stone underneath their feet, the contents of which questionable depending on the dungeon's current occupants. Currently, the hall smelled only of mold and decay. Moon had to hold up the hem of her skirt, stepping carefully to avoid getting her feet wet.

Her hands begin to shake as soon as she saw the grey figure. He stood in a corner of his cell, a chain clasped around one of his ankles. He was less composed than the last time she had seen him; his clothes were torn and dirty and his hair disheveled.

He turned as he heard them approach. “Hello again Queen Moon.” Toffee spoke first, seemingly unaffected by the memories of their last meeting. "I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mother."

Moon bristled, anger blazing in her stomach at his boldness. His voice sounded oddly sincere but his face was difficult to read. The yellow of his eyes was unnervingly bright in such a dark room. “Perhaps you’d like to try that again. I think we’re far past apologies." She struggled to keep her voice calm but she was suddenly livid. He may as well have started dancing on her mother’s grave, cackling. The image of that in her mind only made her more furious.

In contrast, the monster in front of her seemed startled "I'm sorry... I thought it would be polite to offer my condolences. It is understandable that you wouldn't want to dwell on the topic. What can I do for you, Queen Moon?"

She took a deep breath to quell her anger before continuing, "Why did you do it? We were negotiating a peace treaty. What did you expect to gain by rekindling the war instead?"

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you are referring to.”

“Why did you murder my mother?”

He blinked, brow furrowing. His mouth was agape for a moment before answering. "You think I killed her?" He hesitated, pondering. "Ah, that explains your reaction when you visited our camp. Why you sought me out specifically…."

Once again Moon was caught off guard. Why was he pretending? She shook her head, at a loss for words. His politeness was obviously a façade, but his reaction to her accusation of murder had seemed almost genuine.

“The death of your mother was a tragedy, especially at such a crucial time... But I promise you I had nothing to do with it.”

Count Mildrew stepped in beside her. "Don't believe him, Your Grace. A monster would do or say anything to get what they want." To Moon's surprise, Toffee didn't refute his claim. He barely gave Count Mildrew a glance before turning his attention back to Moon.

"I assure you, the desire for a peace agreement was mutual,” Toffee said.

“Why should I believe you?”

"Many monsters have lost their family members as well in this awful war. Clearly our current arrangement is not working for either side. It’s high time we did something about it.”

Moon frowned. This wasn't going how she had expected it to at all. Her anger was fading but she was still suspicious. She looked away but she could feel the septarian’s eyes lingering on her face.

“If you suspect foul play with the death of your mother, perhaps I could be of some help? It would be an honor, and I hope that your kingdom would see it as a show of good faith.”

"That is... kind of you to say." Moon kept her voice soft, but she turned away to hide her frown. If he was going to try playing games with her she could play along. Perhaps she would gain some insight from him if he wasn't careful.

She didn't trust this creature, even if he claimed to be innocent. He had however given her something to think about.

"Until next time." Moon turned to leave the dungeon, Count Mildrew hurrying close behind. He caught up to her once they were out of earshot.

"Don’t tell me you actually believe his story?"

“I’m honestly not sure what to believe right now. But I know I want to talk to the rest of the commission before I do anything.” She smiled at him. “Thank you for bringing him here. I feel a bit more at ease knowing we will have some answers soon.”

"Of course." He practically puffed out his chest at the compliment. Moon tried not to roll her eyes.

♦️♦️♦️

Later, at a more reasonable hour, Moon called together the majority of her council. River was back with his family and wouldn’t return to the castle again for another few days. She wished she could be bouncing ideas off of him instead. So far Count Mildrew had recounted his self-proclaimed daring capture of the creature, and the members of the Magic High Commission had argued, but nobody had come up with anything productive.

"Clearly this whole thing is more complicated than we initially thought," Moon said. She found herself pacing along the jewel-toned carpet in the meeting room.

"Let me crystalize him!" Rhombulus stood suddenly as if he was going to run off to do so immediately.

"Thank you Rhombulus, but no.” No one ever came out of the crystal prison once they were crystallized. Moon had been lucky to be able to speak with Eclipsa. She wasn’t sure if she would be allowed such an opportunity again. “We have to treat him fairly, even if we still think he’s suspicious. I’d much rather be signing a peace treaty than going back to war.”

"Treat him fairly? He's a war criminal and a murderer." Count Mildrew said.

"The latter we only knew thanks to Archduke Batwin. My mother trusted him so we took him at his word, but he could have been the one lying."

That caused some murmurs around the table.

Moon gasped as an idea struck her. "Why don't we just use the box of truth? We could even hold a trial if you want it to be more formal. Either way, it would get us the information we seek.”

Count Mildrew shook his head. "It might not work on monsters.”

Moon frowned.  "Why wouldn't it? It's worked any other time we’ve used it."

"Monsters can be very deceptive, especially Septarians. We might need to question him with different methods if we want a straight answer out of him." Count Mildrew said quietly. He shared a loaded look with the others.

"What are you suggesting?"

Hekapoo's face had twisted into a disgusted grimace when she looked back at Moon. "I think I know what we have to do, but you're not going to like it." 


	4. A Moral Dilemma

"You're right, I don't like this at all. I _hate_ this." Moon said.

Count Mildrew had left to collect Toffee from his cell while Hekapoo and Mina had led her back to the dungeon, this time into a different room with an array of terrifying tools hanging on the walls. In the center of the room was a wooden chair with metal wrist cuffs.

“I don’t like it either, but we can’t afford to be hesitant during times of war.” Hekapoo’s expression was gentle, but her voice remained firm.

Moon crossed her arms tightly around herself. She knew whatever happened in this room today would haunt her tonight with the rest of her nightmares. “This is not what I meant when I suggested a trial.”

"As a ruler, you must do everything in your power to guarantee the safety of your citizens.” Beside her, Mina looked surprisingly somber. The frenetic energy that normally radiated from her had settled for once, leaving her looking troubled. "Sometimes we have to do unspeakable things in times of war to get ahead.” Her eyes grew dark and distant. Hekapoo nodded solemnly beside her.

Moon shivered. She looked away from their faces, choosing instead to stare at a spot on the floor. If she only focused on that one spot she could pretend she wasn't in a torture chamber, just someplace with a very dirty floor.

She didn't understand how they could be so practical and calm about this. Her own thoughts were a conflicted mess. The monster she had talked to this morning seemed entirely different than the one she had met on the battlefield – although she hadn't given him much of a chance to speak then. She wondered what would have happened if she had tried talking to him then before resorting to using the darkest spell.

The trio looked up at the sound of the heavy metal door opening. Count Mildrew stepped into the room with Toffee and a few guards in tow. They led him to the chair and latched him into it with a formality that felt almost rehearsed. The monster went willingly, his head held high, his posture seemingly at ease. Their eyes met for a moment and she quickly averted her gaze. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, not when she felt complicit in what they were about to do.

Seeing him again made her angry too. She had thought of him as her mother's murderer for so long that it was hard to let go, even though the rumors might not be true after all. But now there was also a part of her that felt... Guilty. War criminal or not, she didn’t want him to be subjected to this kind of treatment. That wasn’t the type of ruler she wanted to be.

Mina took one look at Moon's face and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. “If you can’t handle being present for this then I ask that you look the other way. This is for the good of the kingdom.”

"Yes, perhaps you should go into the other room, Queen Moon. I wouldn't want to frighten you," Count Mildrew agreed. Moon stiffened at the patronizing tone to his voice, but admittedly her stomach was feeling queasy. She took a few steps back, closer to the wall, but remained in the room. If this had to happen under her supervision she would not shy away like a coward.

Her eyes wandered back to Toffee, lingering on the pink stump of where his finger used to be. Moon was curious what it must it feel like for him to have a permanent injury. She had heard that people felt phantom pains after losing a limb, and she wondered if he felt something similar. Toffee had seemed more miffed than anything after her spell cut through his finger, so maybe his people didn't feel pain after all.

“Now, where should we start?” Mildrew pulled a heavy metal instrument down from the wall. When he turned Moon saw it was only a fire iron.

Toffee watched him set the pointed end of the tool among the flames, but his expression and tone remained neutral. "This is really unnecessary. Ask me a question I know the answer to, and I might be able to help you."

“I doubt that. Your kind has always been dishonest.” Mildrew returned to stand in front of the chair.

"I came with you to make an offer of peace to the Butterfly Kingdom. I have hopes of mending the fragile bond between monsters and mewmans. That being said, I won't tell you anything about my people or their whereabouts until I know I can trust you. I'm sure you understand."

“Already lying I see. We both know I had to take you kicking and screaming.”

Toffee opened his mouth to say something but thought better of it. He looked almost bored strapped in that chair, as if he hadn't noticed the atmosphere of the room.

“Why did you murder Queen Comet?”

“I didn’t. I’ve already told the Queen that.”

"So it was someone from your group of rebels?"

"I don't know who it was, but I can guarantee it wasn't anyone from my army."

Count Mildrew put on an insulated glove and retrieved the weapon from the fireplace. The hot end of the iron glowed bright orange, its heat warping the surrounding air.

“Do you have anything relevant to ask me, or do you only wish to hear yourself talk?” Toffee said wryly.

Mildrew quickly brought the iron down on Toffee's arm. There was a crackling hiss as the hot metal connected with skin, and a charred smell began to waft around the room. Moon felt her stomach begin to churn but Toffee hardly winced, staring straight into Mildrew’s eyes. “You’re wasting your time trying to torture a septarian," He said coolly, but Moon saw that his jaw was clenched. The muscles in his neck were tensed too. _So they must feel pain after all._

When Count Mildrew pulled the weapon away the flesh of Toffee’s arm began to heal. The blistered skin absorbed, the red wound turning pink and then grey as a layer of scales spread over it.

“Ah, that’s right. Your kind has a nasty way of growing back.” He frowned. “I suppose I will have to be more creative.” He paced in front of the chair for a moment before pulling a dagger from his belt and plunging it into Toffee’s chest.

A surprised snarl erupted from the monster’s mouth, his body fighting against the restraints. He gnashed his teeth, turning his head reflexively to bite. Mildrew jumped out of the way just in time. “See?” He called over his shoulder to Moon. “You can’t trust these things. You never know when they’ll turn savage.”

"That’s enough Count Mildrew!" Moon stepped forward, but Mina held her back.

“Now then. Do you have anything you’d like to tell us?” Mildrew twisted the blade. “Or do you need more convincing.”

Blood pooled around the dagger, staining the septarian’s shirt. He spoke in a low growl, fangs bared. "Even if I was withholding information from the Butterfly kingdom, I wouldn't confess for the likes of you, Mildrew."

"You leave me with no choice then." Mildrew sighed, twisting the dagger again.

Now more than ever Toffee looked like a vicious creature with his jaws snapping, his claws curling into the wood of the chair. But what struck Moon the most was the look of dread in his eyes as Count Mildrew removed the dagger and prepared to strike again. She pushed past Mina and stepped forward to yank the bloody weapon from Count Mildrew's hands. “I told you to stop it. He’s only acting that way because you’re making him suffer."

"I'm sorry for upsetting you Queen Moon, I hadn't expected this creature to cry out so loudly." His voice sounded concerned, but he looked at her as if they were sharing some sort of sick joke.

_I’m sure you would squeal louder if you were in his situation,_ she thought. It took all her self-restraint to be gentle when she pushed him aside. "I won't let this go any further.”

"We’ve only just started!” He argued. “If we stop now this will all have been for nothing."

"I didn't like the idea when you first suggested it, and I don't like it now. Take your dagger and leave us, please.”

Mildrew was furious. His eyes glared into hers but she refused to back down. Eventually, he sighed and shrugged. "Fine. I will leave this creature to you, Queen Moon. But if you change your mind you know where to find me." He ordered the guards to gather his supplies and left. Soon enough it was just her, Mina, and Hekapoo with Toffee opposite them in the chair.

When she turned back to look at Toffee the wound in his chest had already healed, but the smell of blood and burning tissue still lingered in the air. She came closer, keeping her steps sure, and willing her hands not to shake. He watched her approach warily, but he didn’t try anything. He looked so miserable that for a moment she almost apologized. But this monster was a stranger to her. She had already shown him mercy by stopping the torture, and for now, that would have to be enough.

“You truly don’t know anything about my mother’s death?” She asked quietly.

"No.” He turned his head and, with some effort, focused his eyes on hers. "But I know the words of a monster do not mean much to you. What would it take to convince you?"

She flinched at his comment. How heartless did he think she was? “I want evidence. I need you to give me proof that you weren’t there when she died or involved in some other way." She paused to let him think. "I'd like to question you again my way if you are feeling up to the task. I promise it is not so grueling as this."

 

♦️♦️♦️

 

Toffee had agreed to answer a few more questions, so Moon called her guards to bring him back to his cell. She was eager to leave the torture chamber behind, but she also wanted to question Toffee in a place that felt less threatening.

Before she could leave, Hekapoo pulled her aside. “Are you sure about this?”

"Yes,” Moon said. “But if you're so worried it won't work, then why don't we have him tell a lie to test it?"

"I guess that will have to do."

“Good. I will ask the questions and you two will be my witnesses. If it works, which I’m sure it will, we can hold a more formal trial with everyone at another time.”

When they reached his cell, Mina and Hekapoo held back and Moon approached him alone. His shirt was still bloody but he looked none the worse for wear. Admittedly she was impressed by his resilience.

"Toffee." She said in greeting, coming to stand by the bars of his cell. “I would love to believe that you’re innocent and this was all just some big misunderstanding, but there are too many unknowns. This will help me trust what you say, so long as it is true.” Normally each member of the Magic High Commission would ask a question using the box, but today she planned to only ask three questions. She decided she would save her most important question for last.

“Of course. What would you like me to do?” His tone was calm and polite as if he had already moved on from the events that had occurred in the other room.

Moon came forward and explained the rules to him, releasing the box so that it floated midair between them. They each placed a hand on the box’s grooved surface and swore to tell only the truth. The maze-like pattern lit up a light blue as the box readied itself for the first question.

"I want you to answer incorrectly on this first question. That way we can prove the box will catch you in a lie," she said. He nodded in understanding and waited.

She paused, trying to think of something quick and simple. "Are you currently in the dungeon of the Butterfly castle?"

“No.”

The box glowed red. Moon glanced behind her at the two council members. "It appears the box works just fine for its purpose." She turned back to Toffee. “Let’s continue. I want you to answer these last two questions truthfully. Archduke Batwin claimed you were one of his generals that had gone rogue. Is that true?"

"No, I never served under him. I was originally part of a septarian army, but more recently I have begun leading a group of rebels looking to end the war."

The box glowed green. If only the Archduke wasn’t currently missing, Moon would love to use the box of truth on him right now. She wondered why he had referred to Toffee as his general, but perhaps they could talk more about that another time. Right now, she was itching to ask the question that had been weighing on her for weeks.

"Were you involved, either directly or indirectly, with the murder of my mother, Queen Comet?"

His face was sympathetic. "No. I had not even heard the news when we first met."

The box glowed green again and she let go of a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. It wasn't him. She would still be wary of him on the slim chance that he was able to fool this lie detecting device, but she was fairly confident he was telling the truth. So who else would have killed her mother? She had no other leads.

It also seemed unlikely that he had not heard of her mother's untimely death. News like that travelled fast. But he had called her princess when they had first met, she remembered suddenly.

"Thank you,  I will have more questions for you at another time, but that will be all for now. I appreciate your cooperation.” She reached up to grab the box from where it hovered and a stain on one of her gloves caught her eye. Toffee’s blood, she realized, from when she had stopped Count Mildrew’s dagger. She had felt good about her method of questioning him, but now her guilt came rushing back.

She left then with Mina and Hekapoo close behind, but throughout the rest of the day, the image of the bloodstain remained stubborn in her mind.


	5. A Desperate Plan

Only a week ago Toffee had been miles away from the dungeon of Butterfly castle. After his initial introduction with the new queen, the rebel camp had relocated deep into the nearby forest. Known to the locals as ‘The Forest of Certain Death’, it was a place that few mewmans would dare to roam. It was certainly not without its dangers, but for the time being, it provided his army with some welcome protection.

The death of Queen Comet hadn’t been an accident, of that much he was sure. Whoever murdered the queen had intended to sever the fragile alliance she had made with Archduke Batwin, therefore sabotaging any future talk of peace with other clans. But he couldn’t let things end like that. There was still a chance that he could fix things as long as he acted quickly.

But before he could set out to make peace with the Butterfly family, he had to convince his sister that it was a good idea. He pulled her aside one night to discuss his plan, the two hiding in his tent for added privacy.

"Queen Comet's peace treaty was the most progress we’ve seen in centuries." He had said, taking a seat at the table. "If the new queen is anything like her mother, we might have a chance of convincing her to continue in her footsteps. But if we don’t try talking to her soon, she will likely turn against us instead, and all that progress will be lost.”

His sister nodded along as she listened, but her hands were busy rummaging through his stack of supplies. "You said you had a bottle of corn whiskey, didn't you? Won't you be a good little brother and tell me where it is?"

"I'll get it later Lyra. Just come listen for a minute, it’s important."

" _Fine_." She sighed melodramatically and came closer. "What's on your mind?”

“I want to give myself up as a prisoner to the Butterfly castle."

“What?” She turned and squinted at him like he was insane. “You’re joking.”

“I think that's the only way I could possibly convince the new queen to take our side. I’m in a unique position - I'm knowledgeable about the war on both sides. I could play the emissary. I'm sure they would be most comfortable with me in a prison cell at first. As long as she doesn’t use that spell again, I’ll be fine.”

Lyra laughed. “You’ve always been a bit of a dreamer Toffee, but this is too much.”

"I have to try something. Nothing we've done has made a difference, and I can't keep waiting for things to get better.”

The laughter in her eyes faded. “You’re serious about this.” She pulled up a chair and sat down across from him. “She has enough power to actually kill you.”

Toffee waved his hand dismissively. “She already had the perfect opportunity to finish me off, but she didn't. I think she was just afraid.”

Lyra frowned, disbelieving. “Alright, say she doesn’t kill you on sight. You might spend the rest of your days locked away in one of their dungeons instead.”

“I know, Lyra.”

“What if I never get to see you again.” Her tone was clipped, but he knew she was only trying to hide her worry.

He clenched his hand into a fist, rubbing the stub of his missing finger. “That may already be a possibility. Who’s to say this wound won’t grow?"

“Don’t talk like that.” She said, looking away. Toffee waited quietly for her to argue. He had prepared himself for a long conversation and a barrage of questions from her before she would even consider agreeing to help. Instead, she straightened and came to stand beside him. "You’re still so young.” She said, her eyes mournful. “You shouldn’t have to do this."

"I'm not a child anymore, Lyra. You don't have to protect me." He chided.

"What desperate times we live in." She sighed again, this time sounding genuine. “But you're the only person I know who could pull off something so absurd."

"Thank you, I think."

"Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

 

♦️♦️♦️

It would take time and effort to gain the new queen’s trust. He hoped his sister wasn't growing too impatient waiting to hear from him. He worried too about the soldiers on both sides awaiting orders. An army with nothing to do grew restless and fearful, but there was nothing he could do about that right now.

He had been genuinely surprised when Queen Moon had accused him of murdering her mother. Somehow he hadn't heard that in the swirling mass of rumors and therefore hadn’t planned for it. He had prepared himself for every detail of their second interaction and had still been taken by surprise. It didn't matter though, yesterday she had revealed her more compassionate side. It seemed he still had a chance to convince her to strive for peace like her mother.

On his second day in the prison cell, Moon came to speak with him alone. She seemed more willing to trust him after using the box of truth. Even so, she kept her distance and chose her words carefully.

“Earlier you said that you wanted to mend the bond between monsters and mewmans. Is that correct?" She asked.

“Yes, it is true.”

“I also desire a peaceful resolution to this war. However, I can’t say that I am eager to place my trust in anyone after the death of my mother.”

“Your hesitation is completely understandable." He bowed his head solemnly. "I, of course, can’t speak for all monsters but I do know that no one in my entourage was involved with her murder. Queen Comet was well respected among my soldiers. We had been pleased to see her efforts to establish a peace treaty.”

Moon's face grew pinched and she quickly changed the subject. “So tell me, how do you propose we solve the rift between monsters and mewmans?"

“Well, old politics like ours are messy and people are stubborn. You will face resistance at first.”

"I’m aware that it will be a difficult transition." She said wearily.

“The most significant change may not come for generations, but it can start with you.” He continued, trying to sound optimistic in contrast.

"Hmm." She took a step closer to his cell. “So what do you have to offer me?”

“I could be a valuable resource to you as an advisor," he said. “I have connections with many different clans, and could inform you of the individual history of them all. I suspect you don’t have much information on our history in your castle library.”

He could almost see the gears turning in her mind as she stared back at him, mulling over what he had said. He suspected she would grow into the role of queen easily. She was naturally cautious and protective of her people. ~~~~

“It sounds like you could be a useful ally.” She said finally.

“That is my hope, yes.”

Her eyes fell briefly to his hand, then snapped back to his face. “Well, I will think over what we have discussed today and return when I next have questions.”

"Of course. Take your time.”

 

♦️♦️♦️

She came back the next day, and the day after that, and so on until it became a routine. Each visit revealed a bit more about the queen as she became more comfortable around him. He had at first been purposefully polite and sociable, but he found that the more time they spent together, the less he had to force anything. Sometimes their conversations wouldn’t even be about the peace treaty. She was genuinely interested in learning about septarian culture, specifically his past. He would only divulge as much information as was safe to give a potential enemy, but for some reason, he felt like he could trust her. He could tell her interest was genuine and not out of malice. It seemed to relax her to know about him as if they were friends.

She was often reserved, likely still mourning her mother, but he found that sometimes he could coax a smile out of her. He figured that was a promising sign of making an ally.

During one of her visits they reached a lull in the conversation and he took the opportunity to speak. "May I ask you something?"

Moon nodded at him. “I've asked you so many questions, I suppose it’s only fair.”

“Your other subjects, the rest of the council... They still seem afraid of me. But not you, not anymore at least. Why is that?”

She paused for a moment before answering. “I have you at a disadvantage. I still have access to the darkest spell if I ever needed it. And if my people needed me, I wouldn’t hesitate.” Her blue eyes glared at him, cold and unwavering. But the moment was gone as soon as it had arrived, and when she spoke next her tone was once again light and friendly. "Although I’m sure that won’t be a problem." She said sweetly.

“Fair enough.” He said, both relieved by her admission and amused by her delivery of the underlying threat. They both knew they were treading on thin ice, and he would rather her acknowledge the fact than dance around it.

"You know, when I first laid eyes on you I thought that you had come to make amends with the monsters.”

Moon scoffed, looking surprised. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You approached our camp unarmed aside from your wand. You brought meat with some sort of apology carved into it. I’m still not sure what that was about, but at the time I had wondered if it was a symbolic offering.”

"Stupid apology meat," she muttered crossly under her breath, folding her arms in front of her chest. "It was a gift from a friend and completely unrelated. Honestly, I just brought it because I was hungry and I hadn't eaten all day. I had forgotten what was written on it."

"Is that so?" He gave a short humorless laugh, glad for the shift in tension. “Well, I shouldn’t have let my hopes cloud my judgement.”

“What do you mean?” She asked dubiously.

“Well, even before I met you I had heard word of your kindness. Historically most of Mewni’s queens have been mewman-centric. But you...” He gave her his most sincere look. “You were different. I had hoped you would be the one to help us. Your compassion extends beyond your own people, I’ve seen it."

It was true. As a young princess, Moon had always been generous and kind, a lauded humanitarian. Before meeting her, he had imagined a fragile, meek person to fit her description. The real Moon was far different. He had been surprised to see such fire in her the day they met. He would not make the mistake of underestimating her again.

When he looked up her face had softened but her eyes were full of storm clouds. "I'm sorry to have disappointed you then," She said bitterly.

"No, not at all. You've only proved the lengths that you would go to protect your people. I actually find that quite admirable."

 _Ah, there's that smile again_ he thought, even as she turned away to hide it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience you guys! I’ve had a lot going on in my life lately, so I haven’t had as much time to work on this story as I’d like. I’ve got a bunch of ideas for the future of this story, lots of scraps, I just need to stitch them all together so to speak. If you guys have any ideas for something cute/fluffy you want to see later let me know! I’ll see if I can work it in. (:


	6. Old Ghosts

As her conversations with Toffee became a regular occurrence, Moon grew inspired to do some research of her own. The history of Mewni had, of course, been an important topic of her education, but she wanted to be sure the facts were fresh in her mind. The teachings she did remember were fairly one-sided, and she felt she needed a different perspective.

There was little recorded history from before Skywynne's reign more than a hundred years ago. The original Butterfly castle had burned to the ground during a monster siege, and centuries of history had been lost, including the original spellbook.

Moon knew there must be useful information somewhere in the castle library, but for now she was starting to feel trapped in the growing stack of open books and loose papers on her desk. She stood, stretching out her legs and rubbing at her tired eyes. Between her new research project and her regular royal duties, Moon was drowning in work with hardly a moment to herself. She was exhausted but glad for the distraction. If she sat idle for too long her thoughts would drift to her mother instead.

"Glossaryk?"

The genie appeared at her call. He was still behaving gloomily, but at least now he would sometimes provide helpful input when asked. "Is there any information on the monster war in my spellbook?"

“That depends. Which one are you referring to?”

She scolded herself. _Of course, what a stupid question._ “I mean the monster massacre in particular.”

“I’m afraid not. You won’t find any information on it here either.” He motioned to the stack of books she had just been sifting through.

Moon glowered at him. “Nice of you to tell me that now.”

"You never asked," he replied simply.

“Hang on, weren’t you there when it happened? Can’t you just tell me about it?”

“Oh no, I try to keep out of politics," Glossaryck said, giving her a queasy look.

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

Her mentor merely shrugged. “I’m not in a position to take sides. I may have something else that could be relevant for you though.” He flipped through the spellbook as soon as it materialized in front of him. "Maybe you should review Solaria's chapter."

She thanked him begrudgingly, unimpressed by his laissez-faire attitude, and brought the book to her desk.

Queen Solaria was known as _The Monster Carver_ , and with good reason. She had led her armies in some of the most successful battles against the native monsters. Armed with her magic, Solaria's soldiers were devastating, and they made quick work of their enemies. With the monsters no longer posing a threat, she had also provided an opportunity for the expansion of her kingdom.

Solaria had made attempts at peace before waging war, and she had documented her results. Her treaty was detailed, but upon closer inspection it seemed to be nothing more than a way to gain more power while placating her subjects. Her demands had been unreasonable, asking that monsters kindly give up their land or else suffer the consequences. Moon was unsurprised to see that the monsters had not agreed to her terms. She couldn't blame them. A peace treaty should not be so easily mistaken for a threat.

As Moon thumbed through the pages, she came across a list of different monster races. The pictures provided were a grossly exaggerated, often with too many teeth or claws. Each monster species had a paragraph or more dedicated to describing the best method of execution. According to Solaria, slime-men should be burned to a crisp on sight, and kappas could be taken care of with ‘a simple disembowelment spell'. Her writing was offhand as if she were merely describing the extermination of an irritating pest. Most disturbing of all; after each gruesome description, Solaria had claimed ‘they are happier this way'.

As a child Moon remembered admiring Solaria for her bravery and dedication to her people. Solaria's path might have been littered with bones and blood, but at the time Moon had believed that was the best thing for Mewni. Now, looking at Solaria's handwritten entries, she only felt horror.

_They are happier this way._

Moon shuddered. Her history teacher had conveniently left that part out of her lessons. She held up the open book for Glossaryck to view. "Was Solaria really like this? So... Callous?"

His eyes wandered the page as he drifted closer. “Yes, that's definitely in character for her.”

Moon closed the book and pushed it aside, feeling ill. "I don't think it will benefit me to read anymore." There was no denying the cruel treatment of monsters in the past, but now she had to figure out what she was going to do about it.

“You know, you should talk to Mina." Glossaryck offered. “She was Solaria’s most trusted warrior.”

“Right.” She sometimes forgot how old Mina was. "I will, thanks."

A thought came to mind, and she picked up the book again, flipping to Queen Skywynne’s first entry at the beginning of the book. Her eyes skimmed the page until she found what she was looking for.

“Glossaryck?!" She had to stop herself from shouting his name in her excitement.

“What? What is it?" He peered over her shoulder.

“The original spellbook, how did it burn?”

“Dragons. They were meant to perform at the queen’s coronation party, and they set the castle on fire in the process. It was an unfortunate accident.”

Skywynne’s entry said much the same. But Moon clearly remembered being taught otherwise in her lessons. “It had nothing to do with a monster attack,” she muttered, setting the spellbook back on the table. Had the truth been lost over the years, or had it been purposefully altered? How could she have any faith in her own history if it constantly contradicted itself?

She stood and made her way to the window. It was crucial that she introduce her subjects to the idea of change, but she wasn’t sure where to start. Her people were stubborn and easily frightened, and she was worried they would respond poorly to her intention of peaceful unification.

There was the issue of her prisoner as well. The Magic High Commission was still reluctant to set him free, but perhaps she could convince them of a compromise. It would be a nice gesture to give Toffee some time away from his cell, and perhaps that would make him seem more trustworthy.

But first, she would pay a visit to her general.

 

♦️♦️♦️

 

Mina Loveberry spent much of her free time at one of the taverns in town. Her violet hair stuck out easily in a crowd, and it didn't take long for Moon to find her. She called out her name as she approached her table and the woman lifted her head, green eyes bright as sea glass. She was a haggard sight; her clothes wrinkled and covered in dirt.

"Oh. Hello Queen Moon."

"May I join you?" Moon asked, motioning to the chair in front of her. Mina nodded and she sat, feeling out of place amongst the sticky floors and raucous noise of the tavern.

"What brings you here?" Mina asked as Moon struggled to find her words.

“I wanted to learn more about Solaria and her conflict with the monsters.” She said, deciding there was no way to put it delicately. “I thought you would be the best person to talk to.”

Mina grimaced as she leaned back into her seat. “I see. I’m afraid I don’t have much to tell you; It’s the same tired old story. _War is terrible_. It always does more harm than good. But you already know that. That’s why you’re so afraid of it starting again." ~~~~

Moon blinked at her, suddenly uneasy. Living hundreds of years past her natural lifespan had left Mina's brain scrambled and inconsistent. Moon was so used to her behaving erratically; she didn't know how to respond to the moments when she was lucid.

Mina backed off. "But I'm guessing that's not the kind of war story you're looking for."

"Not quite." Moon gave a nervous laugh. "Um... How about you tell me how you first came to join Solaria's army?"

"Right, well that’s easy. Solaria found me when I was nothing. I used to be just a peasant, peddling whatever I could find to make ends meet. But beautiful, strong Solaria saw something in me that no one else did. She turned me into the warrior I am today."

The smile on her face faded. "Although you've seen the side effects. We knew the risks when we volunteered, but it's one thing to talk about it and another to see the symptoms in person." Mina's voice grew quiet. She eyed the dregs of her drink, rolling the glass slowly between her hands. "We all lost something eventually, either our lives or our minds. I'm the only one of her soldiers that survived, and now I just can't seem to die. Lucky me."

"That is a terrible burden to have to carry alone."

Mina shrugged, not meeting her eyes.

"I was reading some of Solaria's entries in the spellbook recently. Her methods seemed a bit... Extreme." Moon said politely.

“Yes, Solaria never was one to back down from a fight.” Mina chuckled, shaking her head. "That woman. She wanted things done her way, and if you disagreed, she'd put you in your place. The monsters were unlucky enough to be on her bad list."

"Do you think she was right?"

Mina looked at her, startled. She considered the question before speaking again. "I think it was the only way,” She eventually said. “Things had escalated too far at that point to expect anything better. My Solaria may not have been right about everything, but she was a fierce queen and a loving mother. She only wanted to protect her family."

"Just like the monsters."

"Yes, I suppose so," Mina said softly, her eyes growing distant. She turned to face Moon fully again. "You've got your work cut out for you with this new peace treaty."

"Yes... But it will be worth it."

"My sword is yours if things go poorly."

"I hope it won't come to that. But I appreciate your loyalty."

Mina nodded, but it looked like something else was on her mind. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Listen," she said, now in a whisper, "If this peace treaty works out, will you help Eclipsa too?"

"What do you mean?"

"After her mother died I tried to raise her right but... They don't always listen if you're not real family, you know? She's a good kid, but she had a lot on her mind after her mom passed. And then she up and disappeared with that size-shifter."

"I'll see what I can do," Moon said vaguely.

"Thank you. Her mother and I were always at a loss with her. But if times are changing, she might fit in better. I'd really like to see my daughter again."

 _Oh_. The little clues suddenly all fell together and Moon felt terribly dense. She cursed Glossaryck for not telling her that Solaria and Mina had been together. He must be having a good laugh at her expense.

"Thank you Queen Moon, for humoring an ancient woman."

Moon stood and came around the table to touch Mina’s shoulder. “You have faithfully served this kingdom for many years, and I am grateful for your knowledge. It’s the least I could do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this mean I've written a bury your gays trope? :( Guess I gotta make this story gayer. Sorry, those are the rules.
> 
> Also, it's unclear if the monster massacre/mewnipendence day refers to Solaria’s war with the monsters or when they first settled on Mewni. The warrior spell Solaria uses is one that she uncovered from a previous queen, so I would assume that Mewnipendence day refers to a battle that occurred further in the past. At least that’s what I’m going with. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	7. It Only Takes a Taste

The intentions of a baker are just as important as the ingredients they choose. At least that was what Moon’s mother had always told her. They had made pies together so many times that Moon knew the recipes by heart. Her movements were automatic, and she mixed her initial ingredients into a dough without needing to think about it. Glossaryck watched her move about the kitchen, lounging on her open spellbook as if he were a housecat waiting for a dish full of cream.

Once the dough was worked into a crust, Moon began with the filling. Crushed tomatoes simmered in one pan with sliced onion and thyme. In another; bone broth and flour were stirred into a thick roux. She combined the two and then poured the mixture into the waiting pie crust.

Her mother had believed she could fix anything with a good pie. When she was still a princess, Comet had accompanied her mother into her first war-room meeting. There was a battle planned for the following afternoon, but no one could decide on the best strategy. After much arguing, the generals had only succeeded in growing louder and angrier. Comet grew tired of their bickering and eventually snuck away to the kitchen, bringing back seven of her special Solanaceae pies to share with the meeting members. After they had eaten their fill, everyone was so exhausted from arguing that they fell asleep right at the meeting table. The monsters had supposedly grown tired of waiting for the mewman soldiers to arrive and retreated entirely. In the end, a whole battle had been avoided thanks to a pie.

Moon always thought the story was quite silly, but that was the kind of pie she needed now. A war-stopping pie. A peace pie.

She decorated the top of her pie first with a layer of breadcrumbs and thin slices of tomato, then sprinkled the whole thing with herbs and yellow cheese. Finally, she rolled out a long strip of dough and began sculpting. A gentle twist formed the body, and a pinch for the antennae. The ends were looped into graceful wings. The completed butterfly was placed in the center of the pie.

She placed the pie in the kiln and dusted the crumbs off her hands, then sat beside Glossaryck to wait.

♦️♦️♦️

There were a few spots in the castle garden perfect for a private conversation, and Moon had set up a table and chairs before her guest arrived. The simplicity of setting a table was almost comforting. So many of her decisions as queen had high stakes, it was nice to have a task with consequences that didn't matter.

Toffee arrived earlier than she had expected, escorted by two of her royal guards. "Hello Queen Moon," He said in greeting as he approached the small table. "What a beautiful garden."

"Thank you. I wish I could say I had a hand in it, but I'm merely an admirer. I never developed my Aunt’s green thumb," Moon replied. Her Aunt Etheria was frighteningly good with plants. She was never formally trained in magic like her own mother, but she could bring forth a web of thorny vines in a heartbeat if she wished it. The flowers in the garden were in full bloom, and she cut a pale pink peony to use as her centerpiece. She approached leisurely, enjoying the sun at her back, before placing the flower in a vase on the table. "I hope you don't mind the change of scenery. I thought you might appreciate the fresh air."

"It is definitely appreciated." He said, but he was already peering past her. "What have you brought in your basket? More tools to torture me?"

"What?! No! It's a peace offering." Moon said, hastily. She lifted the woven lid to show him, before realizing he was joking. She clicked her tongue and huffed, mildly irritated. "I know it’s not the same as a treaty, but that will come soon enough. There are other things I must set in motion first."

 He watched her with an amused expression but did not reply. She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling like this whole idea was incredibly foolish. Her face grew hot as she started removing things from the basket to place on the table.

"Here, let me help." He said, coming to stand beside her. Moon gratefully handed him the bottle of summer wine and he began to fill both their glasses. His hands were large in comparison to her own, and his claws could tear her to shreds in moments. But despite his appearance, there was a certain gracefulness to his movements.

"It’s a bit early for a Mewnipendence day feast." Toffee said, noting the wide selection of food she had brought. On a whim she had brought a few of her favorites;  Fresh figs from the underworld, brown honeycomb mushrooms… But the table was mostly full of corn - All the corn that a person could ever want to eat. And, of course, the Solanaceae pie she had made that morning, still warm from the oven.

"There’s a reason I chose it today. I think the upcoming holiday is the perfect opportunity to start sowing seeds of change."

"And you said you weren't a gardener," he said, smiling behind his glass.

She smiled too. "No, but I suppose I have the patience of one.” His manner of speaking had become quite casual with her, but he still referred to her formally. She didn’t know why that should bother her, but it did. She chewed her lip. “Will you help me introduce my people to your side of the story?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"On Mewnipendence day we normally celebrate with themed foods and the like. The kingdom puts on a play recounting the Mewnipendence story that everyone knows. It’s a big production.” She offered him the first slice of pie before putting one on her own plate and picking up her fork. “This year I want to do things a little differently. Instead of the play they’re all used to it will be one that is empathetic, and more _true_ to the past. A story that tells both sides. I hope that it might open the eyes of some of my subjects when it comes time to integrate."

“That’s not a bad idea.”

"I know it’s not much, but it’s a start. I'm hoping it will make them more open to change before they realize they have no choice in the matter."

Toffee laughed. "Spoken like a true monarch." He took a bite of the pie and his expression shifted. "This is incredible."

"Thank you." She said, pleased. "I made it. It's one of my mother’s recipes." She took a bite too, rolling the flavors around her tongue, and frowned. It was good, but not nearly as good as when her mother made it.

“You made this yourself?” He asked. “Did you use your magic?"

She shook her head. " Only if you count retrieving the ingredients from the shelves too high for me to reach."

“Well consider me impressed. If I had to eat this for the rest of my life I wouldn’t complain.”

There was a pause in their conversation that stretched into a comfortable silence. A breeze drifted through the garden, bringing the scent of flowers with it. Toffee gave a contented sigh and turned to look down at the rustling foliage below them. His eyes were not always yellow, Moon realized, in the sunlight they were a flecked gold. They were actually quite beautiful, in an exotic way. She wondered vaguely if his eye color was common among septarians.

He turned and she quickly looked away before he caught her staring. "Thank you for this," He said, his voice sincere. "I didn't realize how much I missed fresh air."

Guilt squirmed in her gut, but she brushed it aside.

They discussed their plans for the festival amongst other things until the light began to fade in the sky, at which point Moon accompanied him back to his cell.

She had provided him with many comforts since he had first arrived. He had a small table stacked with books, and a trunk full of clothes to name a few. With all the provided additions his cell was almost homey now. Although some days it felt like she was merely covering rotted meat with honey.

She hated that he had to stay there when they were discussing peace, but it seemed like he understood her predicament. At least she hoped he did.

"Oh! I have something for you!” She said suddenly, fishing around in her pocket. “You mentioned how cold it gets down here... This should help with that.” She handed him a small parcel wrapped in lilac paper.

"Thank you, Queen Moon. It was kind of you to remember." He took it from her with a confused, grateful look, and opened it to find a small amber-colored stone on a chain. It flickered now and then as if it had a life of its own.

"It's meant to be worn as an amulet, but it works just as well tucked in a pocket. I carry them around with me during the winter." Moon said as she made her way to the door. Before she could leave she stopped and turned to him again. "Oh, and Toffee?" She lingered in the doorway, her fingers gently tapping on the bars. “Please, just call me Moon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the first love of my life... Pie. 
> 
> Comet's chapter in the Book of Spells tells her story of lulling soldiers to sleep with her savory tomato pie. It fits so perfectly with the silly kid logic of the show, I had to include it.
> 
> I keep thinking about how well Moon would fit in a Waitress AU, but the rest of the story points and characters would be so messy that I don’t even want to try untangling that into a story... So there's that to chew on.
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos. They are the best inspiration when the writing gets tough. <3


	8. Need a Hand?

The sound of footsteps in the hall echoed throughout the dungeon. It wasn't Moon, Toffee decided, as she was fairly light on her feet. Besides, she had mentioned she would be busy in town and unlikely to visit today. It was a shame, he had grown to look forward to their conversations, and it wasn't just because he had little else to do in this cell. Their friendship might be unconventional, but he was thankful for it. If the queen could become friends so easily with a monster, perhaps there was hope for the rest of Mewni.

His good mood quickly soured when he realized the footsteps belonged to Count Mildrew and two of his men. "Were you expecting someone else?" Mildrew drawled. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Toffee stood, drawing himself up fully. He was at least a head taller than Mildrew, though it didn't seem to intimidate the man in the slightest. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” He asked drily.

Mildrew entered the cell with his men close behind. "I have a few questions I'd like answers to." He bared his teeth in an indulgent smile. “Our queen is too generous with her kindness, but she isn’t here to save you now.”

♦️♦️♦️

 

Since becoming queen, Moon found herself struggling with ambivalence. Every decision she made carried an incredible amount of weight, and the pressure of making the right choice was beginning to make her overanalyze everything. Doubt liked to creep into the corners of her mind whenever she felt too confident about something.

The fate of Toffee was one of many problems on her ever-growing list. Most of the time it seemed like an obvious choice. Once Toffee was no longer imprisoned they could begin working together on more equal footing. As Queen of Mewni, she could release him without the approval of the High Commission, but even now they were adamant that he remain locked away. Was their mistrust due only to prejudice? Or were they privy to some detail she had overlooked?

The situation troubled her, but at the moment she had other things to worry about. Preparations had already begun for the upcoming festival, and she had ridden into town to see the progress. She had tasked River with supervision of the project while she was attending her royal duties, although truly he had been kind enough to volunteer.

He had already informed her this morning of the work still needing to be done. It was mostly minor changes, but some would take more finesse. The costumes meant to represent the monsters, for example, needed to be replaced entirely. They had been in use for as long as Moon could remember, and she had found them quite frightening as a child. Now they just made her uncomfortable.

They were as beautiful as they were terrible. The fabrics were rich with embroidery and delicate beading. Each scale was hand-stitched into an impressive piece that must have taken months to complete. They were also intentionally grotesque, with exaggerated features, something Moon had never really noticed until now. There was no way they could use them for this year's festival.

Despite their tastelessness, she couldn't bring herself to throw them out. They were a part of history, even if they had aged poorly. Perhaps she would find some sort of use for them later. She folded the garments as neatly as she could and went to pack them away, nearly tripping over a pile of props as she did so. She managed to keep her balance but started a cascade effect that resulted in a loud clamor of metal pieces clattering to the floor.

"Watch out for the armor!" River called out belatedly. "I'm in the middle of polishing."

Moon sighed as she looked at the mess she had made. At least this would be an easy fix. She reached for her wand and jumped, letting out a small gasp. She could normally feel a flicker of magic when she touched it, but just now it was as if she had touched hot metal. Her wand had become temperamental ever since using Eclipsa's spell. It had been little things at first, different color palettes, or spells suddenly behaving as if they had a mind of their own. The changes had been small and infrequent enough that she had brushed it off as nothing, but this was new.

Her eyes darted around her as she fanned her hand to take away the sting. Fortunately, only River had noticed her little outburst. He poked his head out from another pile of things. “Are you alright?”

"Just a little static electricity, nothing to worry about.” She smiled in response to his raised eyebrow. He obviously didn't believe her, but he let it go, instead stepping closer to help her tidy the chaos on the floor.

  ♦️♦️♦️

They had brought the horrible restraint chair into his cell and Toffee felt himself balking. "The chair is unnecessary if you only want to ask me questions,” he said. He kept his voice level and his face carefully blank despite his stress. A lifetime of practice had made it easy.

"I doubt they are the kinds of questions that words can answer."

Toffee sighed inwardly, feeling impatient and restless. Mildrew had him cornered. Out of habit he looked around the cell but nothing useful was in his reach. It didn’t matter. He couldn't lay a finger on the man, even in self-defense. Any wound that he left on Mildrew or his guards would be used as an example of his savagery, his inability to act civilized. He would surely be executed. All his progress with Moon would be lost.

As much as he wanted to dig in his heels, he knew he had no choice. He sat before he was forced to do so, and the guards stepped forward to fasten him in. Once he was secured, they left him alone in the room with Mildrew.

"You could count on one hand the times a septarian specimen has been available for research," Mildrew said quietly. He unfolded his satchel of tools on the nearby desk. "Your kind is very secretive. Can you blame me for wanting to take advantage of such an opportunity?"

Toffee leaned back in the chair. "Well, get on with it then."

Mildrew turned with a hunting knife in hand. “You’ve made things quite difficult for me, you know. I hadn’t expected her to find you so interesting.” He tilted his head, giving Toffee a look that was equal parts curious and condescending. “I’m not sure what she sees in you.”

“If I didn’t know any better I would say that sounded like jealousy.” Toffee said. He felt a spark of satisfaction at the brief twitch in Mildrew’s expression. Perhaps taunting him wasn't the wisest thing to do in his current predicament, but he couldn't help himself. Mildrew was clearly love-struck and it was obvious the queen didn't return his affections.

Mildrew made his first cut in one of Toffee's arms. It was deep and deliberate as if he were slicing a piece of cake. "You’re all the same. She'll learn that too soon enough."

Toffee kept himself still and impassive as stone. Mildrew’s words were puzzling, but it was difficult to ponder when a sizeable chunk of flesh was being removed from his arm. Mildrew paused long enough to watch the flesh regrow before starting again.

He just had to wait it out until Moon returned. Play the victim. But each cut from Mildrew hurt more than the last. _It must be the temperature_ , he realized. Sure enough, his flesh was regrowing more slowly with his decreased metabolism. It wouldn't be long before Mildrew noticed.

_The necklace._

It was over on the table to his left, still tucked in his jacket pocket. It was just out of his reach with his hands tied. But if he could just grab it... The heat it offered would help him heal. The pain would be lessened and he could suffer through this more easily until Mildrew grew bored. But he couldn't move the chair over without attracting attention. Besides, the restraints on the chair were metal, he couldn’t bite through them. He did have one option remaining, though it was a bit desperate.

After a little while, Mildrew brought his various samples back to his kit at the table. While his back was turned, Toffee leaned down to bite down into his own arm, his teeth scraping against the little bones of his wrist. Blood flooded his mouth, thick and metallic. He pinned his hand to the chair with his teeth and pulled his arm in the opposite direction until the connecting ligaments snapped. Toffee bit down harder to stifle a pained grunt before tearing off the hand completely. He held the severed hand in his mouth, wiggled his arm out of the restraint mechanism, and focused on regrowing his flesh. Mauve tissue flowed forward, curling to sculpt itself into a new hand. Bone solidified within.

He clenched and unclenched his new fingers as skin grew around them. The pain abated, leaving a tingling feeling in his new hand as it adjusted to sensation. He dropped his old hand into the new and quietly placed it on the floor before turning to reach for the table beside him.

It was at that moment that Count Mildrew turned around. He swore, rushing forward to grab a fistful of Toffee's hair and pull backwards. Toffee nearly raised his free hand to strike before he remembered himself. He could feel his blood dripping thickly down his chin and onto his shirt.

“I’m not done with you yet, _lizard_. Let me remind you of your place.”

 

♦️♦️♦️

It was almost midday by the time Moon and River finished their duties. Moon was already trying to work out the new list of problems she had compiled this morning as they rode back to the castle.

She had no idea how she would compensate for the monster population that would soon be added to the village. The village was practically bursting at the seams with people, but they didn't have much room to expand, much less the money or resources. She would have to barter some sort of trading system between monsters and mewmans as soon as possible... But even then, would it be enough?

"You know they won't want to integrate," River said, interrupting her thoughts.

Moon turned to give him a reproachful look. "Please don't tell me you're having second thoughts. I thought you were on my side."

"I am on your side, Moon. I think it’s a wonderful idea. But... people will naturally gravitate to their own groups if that’s where they feel safest. Especially if they've been taught to fear each other for generations."

She frowned. "So what would you suggest instead?"

"I don't know." He shook his head with a bitter laugh. "I wish I had a better answer for you, but I don't. I just know you’ll have to do more than put them together and hope everything works out.”

Moon nodded. She couldn't deny he had a point. But before she could reply, she was interrupted by frantic voices from behind a cluster of houses. She and River shared a look before turning their horses around to investigate.

Just past the cottages lay a low bluff and a small rocky stream before the land was swallowed up by a thick forest. Two mewman children stood huddled near the edge of the water speaking animatedly, their voices just short of shouting. At their feet lay a battered monster child. It was fairly small, and it looked too young to be venturing out on its own.

It was easy to guess what had happened. Moon dismounted and carefully slid down the small cliff, dust and little stones scattering under her feet. When she reached solid ground again she ran towards the group of children.

The bullies turned as she approached, their eyes widening. Both of them scrambled further down the riverbank before she could get closer. Knowing it was a lost cause, she instead turned her attention to the small form they had left behind. It had black feathers that shone an iridescent green in the light.

"Please, don't be afraid." She took a slow step forward. The child watched her with wide frightened eyes but didn't try to flee. As she crept closer she noticed one of his legs was stretched out at an unusual angle.

 She crept closer, wanting to be as unthreatening as possible. She was hesitant to bring out her wand again, so instead she whispered a simple healing spell and began weaving the magic between her fingers. It had been a while since she had practiced dipping down, but her magic flowed easily for this spell. She watched it swirling for a moment before looking up to his face. "Do you know your way home?”

He nodded, still eyeing her warily. His wounded leg had moved back into a more natural position, and his face was less strained.

She glanced over her shoulder as she heard River approaching behind her. "Let the boy find his own way back," he said. "You can't walk right into a monster camp and expect them not to attack you."

“I'm not going to just leave an injured child alone in the forest.” She argued, but when she turned back around the boy had already darted off through the trees. She stood with a sigh, dusting off her skirts. "You did that on purpose."

"Just good timing," River said as he watched him go. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Come on, let’s head back."

River clambered back up the cliff in a haphazard rush, kicking up clouds of silt. Once at the top, he leaned over the edge and offered his hand down to her. She took it, even though she was still cross with him.

"You can’t save everyone, Moon,” he said gently. She knew he was right, but it didn't make her heart hurt any less.

♦️♦️♦️

The dog muzzle Mildrew had retrieved from his pack was both uncomfortable and demeaning, but by then Toffee was too exhausted to care.

“If only Moon could see her precious pet now," Mildrew mused as he cut another line into Toffee's arm. The blood that had pooled on the floor had begun to turn black. The sharp smell was thick in the room and nauseating.

It became a rhythmic pattern; Cut and regrow. Cut and regrow. Mildrew’s sick fascination seemed like it would never end, and Toffee began to feel as if he were watching Mildrew mutilate someone else’s body. It was almost better that way. Watching the extent of his cruelty was sickening. Laying back and letting it happen was agony.

 Eventually, Mildrew stopped and removed his gore-covered gloves. "It seems I've lost track of time," He muttered to himself. He brushed back an unruly strand of golden hair with a clean hand and exited the cell without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello everyone! Long time no see!
> 
> Apologies for the delay on updates. I’ve had so much to do between work, school and my externship that I’ve hardly had time to breathe, let alone write anything... Not to mention this chapter was less than pleasant to work on. I hope it is better to read than it was to write. I may come back and change some things later, but for now, here’s the chapter that fought me tooth and nail the whole way. Good riddance I say! Now I can work on the more interesting parts!


End file.
